It takes hard work to make 'Cinderella' the belle of the ball

by jmaloni

Sat, Aug 4th 2012 07:10 am

Elon University's Emilie Renier stars as Cinderella at Artpark.

Viewing 1 of 4

"Cinderella" is on stage Aug. 9-17
at Artpark

Preview by Joshua
Maloni

Oh, sure, when you
watch Artpark's version of "Rodgers & Hammerstein's
Cinderella" next week, it will be shiny, smooth and, in a word,
magical. But just because it looks effortless on stage doesn't mean
the production work behind the scenes is easy.

"This is
probably one of the biggest shows we've done," says Artpark &
Company Production Manager Susan Stimson. "The set pieces are so
giant, it's reminiscent of the old opera sets at Artpark."

"The set, alone,
took four tractor trailers to move," notes Artpark & Company
President George Osborne. "Then you add in the costumes and the
props, and it's the equivalent of a six-truck show, which is a really
big show."

Now that the
pieces are unloaded, the production team, led by stage manager
Stimson, has to put them all together - or choreograph them - in
such a way that Cinderella can seamlessly transform from a lowly
servant girl into a royal princess in about two hours (and did we
mention that whole giant pumpkin carriage ride?).

"The scenery is
choreographed. ... It's almost another performance in itself, because
you have to time it with the music," Stimson says. "This certain
drop has to come in so that a scene change can happen behind it.
Meanwhile, there's a scene going on stage left. Then you have
something else, and the song changes."

All of this, mind
you, has to happen without interrupting the story - physically, or
in terms of the ticketholder's viewing experience.

"You just hope
the audience doesn't even notice it - that's the idea," Stimson
says. "You want to make it seamless; they don't even notice it. All
they see on stage is the scenes and the actors and the singing and
the magic."

Set changes -
heck, carpentry and lighting cues - could take weeks to plot out.
But that's not a luxury the production team has with "Cinderella."
Not by a long shot.

"The actors get
two-and-a-half weeks to rehearse their (parts). We have three days to
figure out our end of things," Stimson says. "We have to be on
our game."

"It's a
challenge," Osborne says. "Once we bring the cast in ... that's
28 people, plus the assistants, the costumer, the hair and the wig
person, the makeup person, the puppeteer. This has a lot of people
involved with it."

"For this kind
of theatrical-type production, to do it all from the ground up takes
a lot of coordination," he adds. "We're fortunate to have a lot
of people who are used to doing it."

Artpark &
Company had planned to stage the Broadway version of "Legally
Blonde" this summer. But when Minnesota's famed performing arts venue, The
Ordway, made its "Cinderella" sets available - that giant
pumpkin carriage, in particular - Osborne and his team changed
course.

"We did so well
with 'Beauty and the Beast,' and we do well with family shows," he
says. "We took a look at the pictures (and we said), 'This is
great.' We loved it. And the whole set is really nice. The fact that
we could get a hold of this really good production sort of made us
consider doing the show."

In "Cinderella,"
the title character has lost her beloved father and falls into a life
of servitude to her cruel stepmother and loathsome stepsisters. Her
dream of a better life attracts the attention of her "Fairy
Godmother," who magically clothes Cinderella with a beautiful gown
and glass slippers, thus enabling her to attend a grand ball. Once
there, Cinderella attracts the eye of the Prince. The two hit it off,
but their time together is cut short as midnight approaches and
Cinderella (and her pumpkin carriage and animal entourage) start to
revert to peasant form. The Prince, not sure of what's happened,
finds one of Cinderella's glass shoes and sets out on a journey to
find his true love.

Overall, "It's
an upbeat story with really nice music - Rodgers & Hammerstein
classic music - some very good comedy, and it isn't too long,"
Osborne says. "The whole show will probably be over with
intermission in maybe two hours or a little less. So, it's a great
thing to bring your kids to. It's a real family show."

One significant change is the utilization of puppets. Artpark & Company and
"Cinderella" director Randy Kramer recruited puppet-maker Adam
Kreutinger to create its animal helpers.

"I've seen
'Cinderella' many times, and, traditionally, it is not done with
puppets," Kreutinger says. "This is unique. I have never seen a
production that utilized puppets for its show."

Kreutinger made
seven puppets: four mice, a cat and two birds.

"They took those
characters - specifically the mice - I think they're usually
played by people in other productions I've seen. They decided to turn
those into puppets," he says. "It's not a cartoon-like version of
it, whereas the mice don't talk in this version like they do in the
cartoon and in other versions of 'Cinderella.'

"This is a
production that I'm not familiar with. But I'm very excited to see
it. I think it's going to be wonderful."

Kreutinger has
worked backstage with Artpark's actors in giving life to his
creations. He says he hopes his work "enhances the show in a way
that puppets can do that. They can do things that actors just can't
do alone sometimes in a costume. It can add a really beautiful
element to the show."

Adult
ticket prices are $45, $39.50, $33 and $25. Children (ages 12 and
under) are $22.50, $19.75, $16.50 and $12.50. Tickets are on sale now
in person at the Artpark Box Office (Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m.
to 4 p.m.), by phone at 1-888-223-6000 or online at tickets.com
and artpark.net. For more
information, call the Artpark Box Office at 716-754-4375.

"Royal
Ticket Packages" ($55) are available for children. The price
includes one prime seating ticket (must be accompanied by an adult
with a prime seat ticket) and access to a post-show "Regal
Reception," where children can meet several cast members.

Royal
ticket packages are only available for matinee performances (Sunday,
Aug. 12, Wednesday, Aug. 15, and Thursday, Aug. 16), and can be
purchased in person at the Artpark Box Office or by calling
716-754-4375.

Artpark
& Company is dedicating its 2012 Broadway musical to the late
Nathan Benderson in grateful appreciation of his generosity and
steadfast support for Artpark. Through the creation of the Benderson
Family Artpark Endowment Fund, Artpark & Company's annual
Broadway productions in the Mainstage Theater have flourished and
grown. The endowment provided support for Artpark's productions of
"Aida" ( 2007), "Disney's Beauty & The Beast" (2008),
"Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" (2009), "All
Shook Up" (2010), "Fame: The Musical" (2011), and this year's
production of "Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella."